Lesbians of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Outings and Events
Community. Courage. Connection
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FROM KIM
The night softens into the first breath of a new day.
A mockingbird, faithful and tireless, sings into the darkness.
Sings of hope, sings of joy, sings beauty into being.
Along the trail above the road, headlamps bob like wandering stars. Early risers searching for the silence before dawn, before heat. The golden hour, when the veil thins and the earth speaks in a language older than words.
Greetings are whispered, brief and gentle, as if sound itself might disturb what is unfolding.
I test my back and legs, listening inward. Measuring pain, finding rhythm, settling into a gait that feels like agreement between body and spirit. Each step becomes a small act of attention, a conversation with gravity, breath, and time.
And then morning receives me.
Two great rams stand above the trail, still as carved stone, their pale green eyes resting on me without judgment. Their horns curl like ancient symbols, their bodies heavy with the abundance of spring. Creatures shaped by drought and survival, strong enough to break open cactus for hidden water.
We regard one another in silence.
Mystery recognizing mystery.
Beneath soil and stone, roots communicate across distance. Plants sense the hands that care for them miles away. Beneath skin and thought, something moves between all living things, currents of energy, particles exchanging stories older than memory itself.
Ancient threads. Ancient knowing.
The rams move effortlessly among rock and cactus, ascending the cliffs as if returning to the sky. I continue below, a slower pilgrim on the same earth.
The horizon blushes pink as the sun lifts over the eastern hills. By the time I reach the picnic tables, warmth gathers around me like blessing, the wind a gentle touch upon the cheek. A bluebird rides the morning air, weaving through light in effortless trust.
Below, the city awakens. Phones glow. Radios speak. Screens flicker alive. The human world rises into noise, and the deeper heartbeat of the earth grows faint beneath it.
I linger a while longer, holding the quiet as long as I can, until the heat arrives and the spell releases me back into the day.
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Ikki no mei is a Japanese idea that gently shifts how we think about purpose. Rather than searching for one grand reason to live, it invites us to find a small reason each day.
The phrase translates loosely as “one reason to live.” It asks us to notice the quiet moments that make a day feel inhabited: steam rising from a cup of tea, a shared greeting, the slow arrival of morning light. Meaning is not something distant or monumental. It lives in the particular, in the ordinary moments that ask only for our attention.
Psychologists in Kyoto suggest that despair often follows the loss of these small daily meanings. When rituals fade, the rhythm of life loosens, and days begin to feel unmoored. Restoring simple acts, stepping outside at sunrise, caring for something living, offering a small kindness, can quietly rebuild a sense of continuity. Nothing dramatic changes, yet life feels steadier beneath our feet.
In many Japanese families, children are encouraged not to discover a singular life purpose, but to consider how they might be useful today. Meaning grows through connection, through gestures repeated over time, until belonging becomes something practiced rather than pursued.
A related exercise, Katari no hoso, developed at Osaka University, invites people each evening to speak aloud three moments when they felt alive. Often these are small sensory memories: the scent of rain, warmth in the hands, a brief moment of ease. The practice teaches the mind to notice aliveness as it happens, reminding us that purpose is rarely found all at once, but encountered quietly, day by day.
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THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS
✨ L-Fund Gala, buy your tickets before March 5th 2026
🧠 Pulp Vixen March 7, 2026
✍️ Signup for We Were Here: Writing Ourselves into History with Ronni Sanlo. Write your life. Witness your truth. Preserve your legacy. Info
🎭Movie Meetup Movie Meetup Wednesday, March 4, 2026
SOLO MIO, 11:20 AM, Mary Pickford Theatre, Cathedral City
After a couple of weeks of theatrical dramas we need a light comedy!
We can meet in the lobby before the film and/or after to discuss how we liked the film.
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WOMAN WHO LIFTED THE BAR
Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess
A woman taught the FBI to catch serial killers by doing what no one else would: she listened to the victims. Then the men took credit, and history forgot her name.
In the 1970s, reporting a rape meant being treated like you were the criminal.
What were you wearing? Were you drinking? Why were you out alone? Did you resist hard enough? Had you been intimate with him before?
These weren't questions designed to catch rapists. They were questions designed to decide if you deserved what happened.
This was normal. Standard protocol. Just the way things were done.
Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess knew it was completely wrong.
She was a psychiatric nurse and researcher in Boston when she began noticing something deeply troubling: rape survivors received treatment for physical injuries, then were sent home—often to face disbelief, blame, and zero psychological support.
No one was studying the mental health impact of rape. No one was documenting patterns in survivors' experiences. No one treated sexual assault as serious psychological trauma.
So in the early 1970s, Dr. Burgess and her colleague Lynda Lytle Holmstrom started interviewing rape survivors—not to interrogate them, but to understand what they were experiencing.
They listened. They documented. They analyzed.
In 1974, they published research that transformed everything: they introduced the term "rape trauma syndrome."
Nurse Ann Burgess Pioneered Criminal Profiling. Where Is She Now?
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR SNAPSHOT
🎶 Live Music
Patrice Morris performs at Indian Wells Resort Hotel on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Reservations suggested. Cover charge.
Gennine Francis will be performing at The Roost this Saturday at 6 p.m. Reservations can be made online at ticketbud.com.
Rebecca Clark performs at The V Lounge on Sunday from 4–7 p.m. Reservations suggested.
Leanna Rogers and Miguel will be performing at The V Lounge on Mondays from 5–8 p.m. $5 cover charge. Leanna and The Free Agents are performing on Thursdays and Fridays from 6–8 p.m. at the Hyatt, Palm Springs.
Gennine Francis will be performing on Fridays, February 27 and April 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Palm Desert Country Club.
Gennine Francis will be performing at Indian Wells Resort Hotel every other Tuesday at 6 p.m. Dates: March 10, 24; April 7, 21; May 5, 19. No cover charge. Reservations suggested.
Marisa Corvo performs at The Roost on Wednesdays,
Living Out - Lesbian Night at Gertie's Bar - Gennine Francis March 1st and 8th
🪩 Social
Wine Down Fridays – 1st & 3rd Fridays
Mahjong (American) Thursdays 1pm to 3:30pm
Weekly Chat Group - Zoom - Thursdays 5PM
🌿 Outdoors
Burrowing Owl Talk – March 12 | Mizell Center Oswit Land Trust
Bird Walks – 2nd & 4th Thursdays | Prescott Preserve
Easy/Moderate/Difficult Hikes – Tuesdays & Saturdays
Easy Walk - Fridays
💬 Community & Support
PALS Seminars & Death Café
Evening Chat Group – Thursdays 5 PM
BAM Book & Movie Club – March 9th - Monthly
Scroll down to COMMUNITY CALENDAR DETAILS for more information on these events
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THE L-FUND GALA
Since 2012, The L-Fund has empowered cis, trans, and queer-identifying lesbians in the greater Coachella Valley area with financial assistance to get through an immediate crisis, as well as assistance in the areas of health and wellness, the arts, and education.
Founded by lesbians for lesbians, we collaborate closely with the broader community to enhance the lives of our sisters.
The Annual Luck be a Lady Gala is The L-Fund's largest fundraising event, uniting lesbians and allies for a night of dining, dancing, live and silent auction, and casino games.
EVENT DETAILS
Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel,
888 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
The Gala will take place in their Main Ballroom.
Free self-parking is available on the premises.
Schedule:
Registration starts at 4:30PM
Doors open at 5PM
Dinner will be served at 5:30PM
Our program will begin at 5:45PM
Live auction will take place at 6:30PM
The event will finish at 10PM
The Casino will remain closed during the main portion of the program.
Dining:
Guests will preselect their meal choices ahead of the event, which include vegan and gluten free options. Salad and dessert are included.
https://l-fund.org/#
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ST. PATRICKS DAY PICKELBALL ROUNDROBIN
Sunday March 15h
Click for More Information
- contact Mary Barsaleau
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WE WERE HERE: Writing Ourselves into History with Ronni Sanlo. Write your life. Witness your truth. Preserve your legacy. Info
There comes a time when we feel called to gather the pieces of our lives, not to summarize them, but to understand what they mean. Dr. Ronni Sanlo invites you to We Were Here: Writing Ourselves into History, an 8-hour Zoom retreat where lesbian women age 50 and older write the moments that shaped them, the lives built without blueprints, and the courage it took to become who they are. You do not need to be a writer, only someone who has lived a life. In this guided and thoughtfully held gathering, participants reconnect with their own voices, place personal stories within our collective history, and witness one another with care and respect. Whether you came out decades ago or recently, are partnered or single, loud or quiet, radical or ordinary, your story belongs here.
The retreat takes place April 23 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Pacific on Zoom. To experience a preview, Ronni is offering a free one-hour introductory writing session on March 26 at 10:00 AM Pacific. Write your life. Witness your truth. Preserve your legacy. Register for the March 26 session by emailing RonniSanlo@gmail.com. Learn more at https://ronnisanlo.com/courses/.
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SAGE & Friends Palm Springs is set to return on Monday, March 23, 2026, from 5 to 7pm at Living Out Palm Springs. We will honor Roberta Conroy and Barry McCabe for their decades of philanthropic and civic contributions to the Palm Springs area and our community as a whole. This event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our elders and uplift our belief that LGBTQ+ older adults deserve to age with dignity, support, and joy.
Sponsorships and tickets are available now. On behalf of Host Committee members LuAnn Boylan, David de Figueiredo, Vicki Hood, Loren Ostrow, Lisa Middleton, and Elliott Sernel, we look forward to seeing you on March 23!
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LEZ PARTY
Ladies Night Spring Dance Party
Saturday March 28, 2026
V-Lounge - 600 E Tahquitz, Palm Springs
$10 at the door
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DESERT LEGENDS, WOMEN'S WEEKEND IN PALM SPRINGS April 2-5th 2026
You are a lesbian that loves to laugh, party and soak up the vibe of surrounding yourself with sisters. You love your life. Come for the weekend and celebrate!
Golf, Comedy, Cocktails, Dancing, Music and Pool Parties
Legendary Lesbian Weekend in Palm Springs for more information and tickets
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DREAMERS
Songs of Hope
Coachella A Cappella Women’s Chorus
presents DREAMERS Songs of Hope
April 15, 2026 7:00pm
Cascade Lounge at the Agua Caliente Casino
Palm Springs
For more information & tickets www.CoachellaAcappella.org (424) 287-SING
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IN THE SUBSTACKS
Now, That’s Beautiful: Anti-Glam Heroines Take Over TV - PROVOKEDmagazine
35 vintage photos of summertime gay life in Cherry Grove | Advocate.com
TAKE NOTE
Timely and worth your attention.
We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O'Donnell dropped this week. Landing just ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, it retells U.S. history through the women who helped shape it, beginning with the woman whose name appears on the Declaration of Independence and whom most of us never learned about. Consider it aligned with our newest obsession: asking, Who was she? History, as it turns out, was heavily edited. Add it to your list.
Breakthrough trial tests tampon as early detector for ovarian cancer. Researchers have launched a clinical study to see whether a specially designed medical tampon can detect ovarian cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages—a huge deal for a disease usually diagnosed far too late. Scientists call the approach a potential “complete game-changer” for survival rates. If successful, it could eventually lead to a simple, non-invasive early detection test. Watch this one.
Midlife women and economic insecurity surge into the 2026 conversation. A new AARP poll finds that more than half of U.S. women age 50 and older say they feel less financially secure than a year ago—particularly around retirement readiness, cost of living, and health care affordability. These anxieties play into broader civic discussions ahead of the 2026 midterms, where women 50+ remain a large, reliable—and still highly courted—voting bloc. Both sides of the aisle are suddenly very interested in what we think. Funny how that works.
The tale of the awful, terrible 10-hour lesbian drive date has everyone picking sides - Queerty
I chose lesbianism—let others choose it too | Out.com
A New Era: ESPN Launches Weekly Women’s Sports Sundays - GO Magazine
Queer love is resistance: Eight couples share their love stories -
More than 50% of 1st-year dental students are female - Becker’s Dental Review - DSO + Dental News
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At B’s-Table, we create beloved comfort food and a taste of home -where southern traditions meet California creativity in every mouthful!. B's Table offers Private Chef services to accommodate dinners, cocktail parties, dinner parties and special occaisions.
B's-Table is a microenterprise home kitchen operation (permit #: 80067/Riverside County) operating in the Coachella Valley since 2019.
At B’s Table, we delight in offering more than just beloved comfort food—we serve Calisoul cuisine, our signature blend of California’s vibrant, local produce and the soulful traditions of Black Southern cooking. This unique culinary fusion results in specialties like our award-winning Seafood Gumbo and Vegan Roasted Vegetable Gumbo, dishes that truly set us apart in the Coachella Valley.
Chef Betty | B's Table | La Quinta, CA bstable2@gmail.com 323.228.3010
| COMMUNITY EVENTS DETAIL & SIGNUPS | | |
The Life and Times of Burrowing Owls: A Natural History and Conservation Review
Join Noelle Ronan, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Palm Springs Office, for a presentation that explores the unique life history of burrowing owls, covering topics such as nesting and winter ecology, diet, home range size, habitat associations, burrow use, behavior, and pairs with young. The presentation will review some study techniques and provide a summary of conservation status and protection efforts. Ms. Ronan will share examples from field experience and her perspective as a burrowing owl specialist and wildlife biologist.
Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Mizell Center, 480 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Information and RSVP to DavidP@OswitLandTrust.org
Every Month Bird Watching Walks at Prescott Preserve
Join OLT Volunteer Kurt Kosek for bird watching walks at Prescott Preserve every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 8am. Birders of all ages and experience levels welcome. Walks are under 1.5 miles on dirt trails. The group meets at the old golf cart crosswalk on Farrell, just north of Mesquite. Plenty of parking on Farrell.
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BAM ( Book and Movie) discussion group
We are a book and movie club that has been meeting online since 2020. All participants have the opportunity to select a book or movie for the group and to lead the discussion the month the group reads or views their selection.
BAM's selection for our March 9th meeting is The Safekeep by Yael van der Woude.
For questions about BAM and to request a link for the meeting, please get in touch with Flynn Sylvest at flynnsylvest@gmail.com. Thank you!
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Lesbians Embracing Aging (LEA)
Lesbians Embracing Aging (LEA)
If you are an older lesbian and would like to connect with others, please consider joining
LEA. You can start by signing up for our monthly newsletter and then, if you’d like to
connect more often, join our private Facebook group which is about connection and
conversation, support and community – a place to lend a helping hand and uplift each
other when needed.
To sign up for the newsletter let us know here: leaofcoachellavalley@gmail.com
To sign up for the Facebook group (please note: all applicants must answer brief
questions and agree to group rules) let us know here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1842826446542272
To attend the monthly LEA Zoom meeting mark your calendar for the second
Monday of each month at 11: 00 AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82977588013?pwd=urfkjO44hhwpBbKU1OIZDnPfJlbg0R.1#
success
To read LEA’s mission Triangle Care Management
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2026 Walks
Friday 8am
Meeting Spot: Michael S. Wolfson Park, at the Butler/Abrams Trail access. 70001 Frank Sinatra Dr, Rancho Mirage,
Dogs are welcome on leash.
Walk description
- Route: Butler/Abrams Trail – Rancho Mirage
- Length: 2.5 miles
- Type: In and out
- Elevation gain: 45 ft
- Time: About 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
Along the way, we will:
- Visit the resident goats, so feel free to bring apples and carrots for treats.
- Walk past “Terra,” a striking rammed-earth compound created as a tribute to Mother Earth.
'Terra' Is a $4.9M Compound Created as a 'Tribute to Mother Earth'
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Evening Chat Group 5pm to 6:30pm PST Every Thursday (new day of week)
Join us for a lively Zoom chat, catch up with friends, and make new ones! Open to Lesbians in and out of the Coachella Valley — California — all 50 States — and beyond. Please email JayneStrelecki@gmail.com to receive the weekly invite & reminder with Zoom meeting ID and Passcode. Bring a friend! Hosted by Cindy T and Jayne!
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Entertainment - This Week's Recommendation
HAMNET in theaters
Hamnet is a deeply moving and exquisitely crafted drama that lingers long after the final scene fades. While the production is visually rich and emotionally restrained, its true heartbeat lies in the extraordinary performance of its female lead, whose portrayal anchors the entire story with quiet force and profound humanity. She captures grief not as spectacle but as something lived in the body, expressed through the smallest gestures, glances, and silences. Her performance transforms the narrative from historical drama into an intimate meditation on love, loss, and resilience. Every moment feels authentic, as if we are witnessing a woman holding together a world that is slowly unraveling around her. The emotional intelligence she brings to the role elevates Hamnet beyond period storytelling, making it a deeply personal experience that feels timeless and universal. It is a performance of remarkable depth and sensitivity, and it ultimately becomes the soul of the film itself.
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Lesbian Owned Business
Barbara Carpenter Realtor
Shann Carr -Comedian, Event Producer, Realtor, A Lesbian Concierge In The Desert
Andrea Voras, Gerontologist Dementia Specialist Life Aging Life Care Manager
Constance Clare-Newman, Somatic Work for Pain Relief and Stress Reduction
Corlyce Photography
Chris Ann Kallgren Realtor
Sunny Designs-Website & Graphic Design & Video
Rice Notary
Nancy Minger - Massage Therapist
Poochsitter
Motivation Changes — Life Coaching - Dr Ann Sarah Engel, MSW, PhD
Community Resources
Local Lesbian Authors
Pickleball Tip of the Week
For more information about pickleball, including lessons, leagues, and other lesbians playing pickleball - contact Mary Barsaleau.
Mary is a registered Pickleball Ambassador.
Animal Samaritans - Pets for Adoption Fur babies needing family at Animal Samaritans
Shelter — Animal Samaritans
Special Thanks to Frontrunners for their ongoing support of LPSCV
Palm Springs Front Runners & Walkers is a running and walking club for members and friends of the LGBTQ+ community in the Coachella Valley. We are a local chapter of International Front Runners, an informal network of LGBTQ+ running groups around the world. Membership is open to everyone without regard to ability, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Join for daily runs and walks! Palm Springs Front Runners & Walkers - Home
Valerie Milano
Senior Editor, The Hollywood Times
The L-Fund will also honor The Hollywood Times’ own Senior Editor, Valerie Milano, whose career in entertainment journalism has been defined by visibility, authenticity, and advocacy. Through decades of reporting, interviews, and festival coverage, Milano has ensured LGBTQ+ stories are told with heart and integrity, bringing community narratives to a global audience. She will receive The L-Fund’s Ambassador Award, recognizing her role as a trusted voice and connector within media and the LGBTQ+ community. https://l-fund.org/#
Hollywood Times - Valerie Milano
| | PALS - Planning Ahead for LGBTQ Seniors | | |
PALS no-cost seminars provide up-to-date info and resources to own your
future, engage in essential conversations and take action because it’s never too soon to start planning ahea
For program updates and to sign up for upcoming PALS Seminars, Death Cafes and PALS Circles, please visit palsinthedesert.com.
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PALS Death Cafe at 2 pm on the 1st Thurs each month provides a group
led and safe space to have open conversations about death and dying without taboo.
For program updates and to sign up for upcoming PALS Seminars, Death Cafes and PALS Circles, please visit palsinthedesert.com.
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.PALS CIRCLE for an hour of connection, support and friendship among
LGBTQ+ seniors and allies. No formal topic — just fun conversation and
camaraderie each Monday from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on ZOOM.
For program updates and to sign up for upcoming PALS Seminars, Death Cafes and PALS Circles, please visit palsinthedesert.com.
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Gay Country Western Dancing - Saturday Nights
Join the Dance Ranch for a great night of country western dancing, including two-step, waltz, shadow, East and West Coast swing, and line dances.
It all happens at Step By Step
933 Crossley Road, Palm Springs.
Admission is $5
Lesson is at 7pm. Dancing from 7:30-9:30pm
Dance Ranch Palm Springs is a country western dance group serving the LGBTQ+ community and its friends. Country dancers of all levels are welcome!
Learn more about Dance Ranch and find out what they’re teaching at danceranchps.org.
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